Stan Matzke, RIP

Stan Matzke died Wednesday with a Memorial Service planned for Monday, November 6th at First Playmouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, with Rev. Dr. James Keck officiating. Stan certainly ranks high on the list of people with Seward "roots" who helped make our State and beyond, a better place. His contributions from State Government to Nut trees will be long remembered. Many of us remember his playing varsity basketball with the University of Nebraska team back in the early '50's. We had "home grown"men on the team those years that included Duane "Whitey" Buel from Malcolm and Norm Coufal from David City,  among those playing with Stan. While we saw several games those years, I noted in our "Highlights" that on February 8, 1954, "We took Bob and Jeanie Jeary to see Colorado beat Nebraska". I then checked my Diary and found that the score was 75-67 and that "We should have won". I also noted that sister Janice had gone to the game with Janet Stillahn. Janet and Whitey Buel were "going together" and later married. I believe Janice might have had a date or two with Norm Coufal. While that all relates to Stan's basketball days, his work with Pecan and Black Walnut trees will live on for years to come with the plantings made a few years ago along Plum Creek with trees from the Valparaiso "Nut House".